Ranking 76ers’ Top Trade Targets After 2024 NBA Playoff Loss

Ranking 76ers’ Top Trade Targets After 2024 NBA Playoff Loss0 of 3

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Once again, the Philadelphia 76ers are heading into the NBA offseason sooner than they would’ve liked. After advancing through the play-in tournament, the squad was eliminated by the New York Knicks in the first round.

This time, though, they have a chance to come out of it with a new difference-maker added to the mix.

While much has been made of the Sixers’ significant cap space, they also have a good number of trade chips at their disposal. Should they put some of their better ones in play, the following three players loom as potential targets.

3. Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets1 of 3

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Between reigning MVP Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey, it’s possible the Sixers feel they are set on star power and could instead focus on finding high-end support players.

If that’s the aim, Dorian Finney-Smith could fit this roster like a tailored suit.

His defense is top-notch and about as versatile as you’ll find. When he’s at his most valuable, though, he pairs that stingy defense with steady three-point stroke. His shot has been a bit off the past two seasons (34.3 percent), but there are reasons—namely, his 38.9 percent splash rate from the three campaigns prior—to believe he could bounce back in a big way.

With the Nets headed nowhere fast, it’s hard to imagine they’d be totally opposed to the idea of flipping Finney-Smith, who turns 31 this offseason, for future assets. Given the Sixers’ desire to strike within Embiid’s championship window, that feels like an obvious move for them to make.

2. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets2 of 3

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Back at the 2018 draft, the Sixers let Philadelphia native Mikal Bridges slip through their fingers. Shortly after snagging the 6’6″ swingman with the 10th overall pick, they sent him to the Phoenix Suns for Zhaire Smith and a future first-round pick.

If they can find a way to correct that mistake, they should.

While there are no indications the Nets want to move Bridges, the Sixers could test that resolve by putting an aggressive trade offer on the table. He is every bit the disruptive two-way wing they’ve been missing ever since Jimmy Butler bounced in 2019, and with his 28th birthday a few months away, Bridges should be in the heart of his prime.

He has looked a bit overmatched as a primary option in Brooklyn, but being able to play off of Embiid and Maxey would help bring out his best. Bridges could go full-throttle on the defensive end and choose his spots offensively.

1. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers (Sign-and-Trade)3 of 3

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While the Sixers have the necessary cap space to sign Paul George outright, it wouldn’t feel right leaving him off this list. Not when the nine-time All-Star is, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, their “top target” this offseason.

George is everything Philly could want to round out its Big Three and then some. He is a legitimate lockdown defender who can carry an offense, serve as an off-ball shooter or do anything in between. He is more than accustomed to sharing the floor with other stars, too, as he’s currently suiting up alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden and previously paired up with peak Russell Westbrook.

George would have zero trouble fitting in, in other words, and he’s exactly the kind of instant-impact upgrade that a team on Philly’s championship-or-bust timeline should be aiming to get.

The only question is availability. The Southern California native has a $48.8 million player option with the Clippers for next season, per Spotrac, and while it seems like he’s a safe bet to decline it, there is a good chance he’d do so only to secure a new contract with L.A. Still, Philadelphia should explore the possibility of adding George until it’s no longer possible, even if that means getting him to town via sign-and-trade.